WHY WOMEN STAY
Frequency and Severity
v The more she is abused, the more likely she is to stay.
v The more she was hit by her parents, the more likely she will stay.
v Mother battered by father
o Or other victimization or reasons for incomplete identity
v Man controls money
v She has no marketable skills
v Dread of going on welfare
v Difficult for her to get work when she has children
v No friends or relatives to help her
v No knowledge of agency or police ability to help
v Received lack of understanding from friends, relatives, police agency or court in past
v Learned helplessness
v Depression leads to no action
v Terror of loneliness
v Fear
v Reprisals for any self-assertive behavior
v Ashamed and guilty and don’t want to admit to others what’s happening
v Feels marriage has failed because she has failed
v Believes she has no power to change her situation
v Feels she did something to cause battering or she deserves it
v Feels she’s responsible for making marriage work
v Believes battering is a part of marriage
v Wants children to have a father
v Believes man is all-powerful
v Believes he can find her anywhere
v Believes he will change and that she can help him overcome his problem